Kartik Backs Khawaja and Takes Aim at Cummins in Sandpaper Row: 'If It Was for the Bowlers, How Would They Not Know?'

Former India spinner Murali Kartik has stood behind Usman Khawaja's claim that everyone in the Australia team knew everything about the sandpaper incident. Backing Khawaja's account, he took Australia's Test captain Pat Cummins to task.

In his autobiography Sabr, Khawaja has claimed that everyone in the Australia team was aware of the plan to tamper with the ball in the Cape Town Test against South Africa. He has also said that current captain Cummins knew about it.

Cummins, however, has denied Khawaja's claim. At a recent press conference he said he had no idea about the plan to use sandpaper.

Another Australia fast bowler, Mitchell Starc, has also questioned the timing and motive of Khawaja's remarks. Their allegation is that Khawaja made such claims to promote and sell his book.

Kartik, however, did not find Cummins's account credible. His argument is that if the ball-tampering plan was made for the bowlers' benefit, the bowlers could not have been unaware of it.

Kartik told Cricbuzz: 'After the incident there was a small investigation and three players had to face punishment. Everyone knew what was happening. When this kind of thing happens, it is done for the bowlers' benefit. I do not want to talk now about whether it was bad or unfair. But if two others do such a thing for my benefit, how is it possible that I, as a bowler, would not know? How can anyone make such a claim?'

In Kartik's view, there is no logic in the bowlers not being told if the ball's condition was being altered for their benefit. For that reason he expressed surprise that only three players had to face punishment.

Kartik also said: 'I was surprised that in the end only three people had to take the blame. I believe all the bowlers in the team knew. When something is being done in the bowlers' interest, would they not be told? How can anyone believe such a thing? Are we in kindergarten that we would accept this?'

Kartik also raised the long-running speculation in Australian cricket. He noted that there had been talk that Warner would one day reveal everything about the sandpaper incident, but in the end it was Khawaja who spoke up.

On this, Kartik said: 'There had been speculation for a long time. It was being said Warner would open up about everything, that once everything was over he would disclose the whole incident. But in the end it was not Warner, it was Usman Khawaja who came forward and said everyone knew. I am sure everyone knew. They are all now trying to speak in the same tune.'

David Warner has accused Cricket Australia (CA) of a cover-up over the investigation into the 2018 ball-tampering incident. He is unhappy with CA for ending the investigation without questioning three senior bowlers in the team.